Air-separator



T. J. STURTEVANT.

AIR SEPARATOR.',

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14. 1920.

1,385,848. Patented July 26, 1921.

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AIR SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14. 1920.

1,385,848., Patented July 26, 1921.

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THOMAS 3'. ST'QRTEVANT, 0F WELLESLE'Y, MAfiSACEUdETTS, ASSIGNOB 1'6 STURTE VAN'T MILL GOMPANY, 0F BOSTON, MASSAGHUSECLW, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- CHUSET'I'S.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 14, 1920. Serial No. 351,403.

' T 0 all whom a may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS J. S'run'ra- VANT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wellesley, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Air-Separators, of which the following description, in connectlon with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

The inventionto be hereinafter described relates to air separators for'grading materials. In separators of this type, a caslng is provided having chambers or passages through which an air current is caused to circulate and the materials to be graded are introduced into the path of the rising air current. The lighter particles are carried along with the air current and delivered through one outlet, while the heavier particles gravitate'down through the rising air current and are delivered through another outlet.

A problem in these separators is the prevention of return of the lighter particles with the air current into the chamber wherein the air current rises and receives the ma terials to be graded. One of thepurposes oi the present invention, therefore, is to provide a casing and an opening or'valve constructed and arranged to reduce to a minimum the percentage of fine particles returned by the air current. In carrying this -feature of the invention into practical effect, in the present instance, a caslngis provided having conical walls meetlng and d1- verging from their juncture, and a valve or opening between outer and inner chambers, so located with respect to the juncture of said conical diverging walls that the fine particles will tend to pass the valve or opening remotely therefrom,,and the percentage of fines accompanying the 'air current through the opening will be reduced to a minimum.

Certain classes of materials to be graded have a pronounced abrading eflect, and after the separator has been used for a period,

parts thereof become so worn from the abrading effect thereon, that it is necessary to substitute new parts therefor. Another purpose of the invention, therefore, is to provide a construction in which ready access may be had to the parts within the easing to facilitate inspection, repair and replacement thereof.

The air current may be produced by a fan which will produce a pronounced whirl of the air current which will generate a centrifugal force tending to cause the lighter particles to flow along adjacent to the walls of the outer casing remotely from the valve or open ng between the outer and inner chamber. This tends to prevent return of the lighter particles with the air current into the inner chamber. Another purpose of the invention is'to provide valve means for the opening between the chambers which will contribute to the whirl elfect of the air. This valve means in its broad aspect may be similar to the construction, shown, described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 319,646, filed August 25, 1919. Another purpose of the invention is to provide a valve means constructed and arranged so that the valve'means or parts thereof may be readily removed, and new valve means or parts may be substituted therefor.

The materials to be graded may be introduced into the inner chamber, and be delivered by a rotary distributer into the path of the air current rising in the inner chamber. Another purpose of the invention is to provide a wall or casing between the rotary distributer and the fan, in the present instance, of general conical form and inclined substantially'parallel to an inclined wall of the inner casing. The rotary distributer tends to promote a whirl of the air current upward through the passage .be-

Patented July 26, 1921.

through the inner chamber, while the'lighter I particles are carried up through the passage between said inclined walls and follow the air current past the fan outwardly into the outer chamber. Thus, the construction and arrangement of the inclined walls materially contribute to eflicient separation of the heavier and lighter materials.

With the aforesaid and other purposes in view, the character of the invention will be best understood by reference to the following description of one good form thereof shown in the accompanying drawings,'

wherein 2-- Figure 1 is a vertical section through an air separator embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 on an enlraged scale is a perspective view of a portion of the valve means between the outer and inner chambers.

Referring to the drawings, the separator shown therein as one good form of the invention, comprises an outer casing having a lower conical wall 1 and an upper conical wall 3 having out-turned flanges detachably connected by bolts 5 at suitable intervals, the upper and lowerwalls diverging from their juncture for a purpose to be described. The upper end of the casing may be provided with a head 7 secured to the upper edge of the conical wall 3. The lower conical wall 1 may have an opening normally closed by a door 9 suflicien'tly large to admit a man to the interior of the casing for inspection, repair or replacement of parts therein. The lower end of the-casing may have an outlet 10 for discharging the fines therefrom, as more fully hereinafter described. Suitable means may be provided to support the casing, this means, in the present instance, being in the form of bracket-s or feet 11 secured to the lower conical wall of the casing and adapted to be mounted on beams 13.

Mounted within the outer casing and spaced therefrom is an inner casing comprising a conical wall 15 and a cylindrical wall 17 above and secured thereto. The lower end of the conical wall may be connected to a chute 19 entered through thelower conical wall 1 of the outer casing and adapted to discharge the tailings, as more fully hereinafter described.

Mounted within the inner wall is a lower conical wall 21 and an upper conical wall 23 connected to an intermediate cylindrical wall 25. Secured to and projecting outwardly from the upper edge of the upper conical wall 23 is a ring plate 27 spaced a substantial distance above the upper edge of' the cylindrical wall 17 of the inner casing to afford an opening 29between them. The conical wall 15.of the inner casing and the conical wall 21 may be supported by channel brackets 30 and 31 secured to said walls and to the lower conical wall 1 of the outer casing opposite to the brackets 11, the con.-

struction being such that all of said walls may be supported by said brackets. The:

walls described provide an outer collecting chamber 33, an inner separating chamber 35 and an intermediate-chamber or passage 37.

Suitable means may be provided to introduce the materials to be graded into the inner chamber. To accomplish this, in the feed tube and deliver the same into the path of the air current rising in the inner chamber. This means, in the present instance, is in the form of arotary distributer, comprising a plate 53 having vanes 55 rising therefrom at intervals adjacent the periphery of said plate, said vanes being surmouted by a ring 57.

Suitable means may be provided to rotate the distributer. To accomplish this,in the present instanoe,-the plate 53 may be provided with a hub 59 mounted on the conical upper end of a vertical shaft 61, having its lower end mounted in 'a step bearing 63 carried by the lower end of a casing 65 for said shaft. Roller bearings 67 may be provided in, said casing to receive said shaft and confine the same against side movement. An apron 69 may depend from the distributer plate 53 and prevent entrance of dust into the shaft casing 65.

To drive the shaft and distributer, the former may be provided with a bevel gear 71 meshing with a bevel gear 73 on. a horizontal shaft 75 projecting outwardly through the inner casing and outer casing and receiving a pulley 77 adapted to be driven by a belt from any suitable source of power. The shaft 75 may be mounted in a sleeve bearing 79 connected to a cover plate 81 which may be bolted to the casing 65, andthe outer casing. The sleeve bearing 79 may have a plate secured thereto and detach ably connected by bolts with the inner casing. The plates 83 and 85 may be sulficiently large to allow the shaft and the cover plate 81 to be inserted into the casing and removed therefrom as desired. Thus, when the bevel gears 71 and 73 become worn, new gears may be readily substituted therefor.

As stated, it is desirable to provide a conical or inclined wall opposed to the upper conical wall 23 of the inner chamber to contribute to efficient grading of materials. In the present instance, for this purpose, a conical wall 87 is provided having an angle ring ,89 at the lower end thereof secured to the distributer ring 57 referred to. The upper edge of this conical wall 87 may serve a hub 91-=secured to the upper end of the conical wall 87, and loosely mounted on the are mounted on and rotated by the vertical shaft 61. The materials delivered from the feed tube 39 will fall onto the rotary distributer and flow outward under the influence of centrifugal force between the distributer vanes 55. The fan will produce a whirling air current rising upward through the inner chamber which will carry the lighter particles of the materials upward and thence outward past the fan into the outer chamber. The lighter particleswill flow down through the outer chamber and be discharged through the outlet 10, while the heavier particles will flow down through the inner chamber and be delivered through the chute 19.

The bombardment of the materials delivered by the rotary distributer against the cylinder 25 may have a pronounced abrading efiect thereon, and therefore, it is desirable to provide a lining therefor. In the present instance, this lining is in the form of a bafile late 97 which may be made of sections detaciiably secured by bolts to the cylindrical wall 17 to facilitate substitution of new plates therefor.

The air current after assing outward from the fan may return through the 0 ening 29 and the pa-ssa e 37 referred to, 1nto the inner casing. Va ve means maybe provided for this opening toflcontribute to the whirl effect in the air and enable regulation of the strength of the air current. This valve means, in the present instance of the invention, comprises a series of vanes 99 (Fi s. 1, 3 and 4) removably shafts or posts 100 prbjectmg upwardly from an angle ring 101 mounted on an angle ring 103 secured to the up er edge of the inner cylindrical wall 17. he. angle ring 101 detac ably connected by .bolts 107 entered through ears 109 projecting from the ring sections 105. Each ofthe vanes 99 may be provided with a link 111 having one end connected to a clip 112 on the vane, said link being formed to present a hook 113 atthe other end adapted to be inserted in an eye in a lug 115 secured to afiange 117 dependin from the ring plate 27.

As a ove stated the conical walls 1 and 3 of the outer casing flare outward away from the ends of'the casing, and as a result of this construction, the casing is formed with a bellied or swollen portion intermediate of its ends. The openin 29 is refer: ably positioned opposite this bellied or swollen portion of the outer case so that the described, the rotary' mounted on secured by the bolts 107. The hooks o the referablyvis formed of sections 105,

whirling air current and the lighter particles therein, will be thrown outward a substantial distance from the opening 29 as they move downward past the same.

Suitable means may be provided to adjust the vane carrying rin 101 circumfen entiall of the ring 103 on w ich it is mounted. his means, in the present-instance, comprises an arm.119 secured to the ring 101 and a rod 121 having one end connected to said arm and its opposite end entered loosely through a sleeve 123 mounted on the outer casing. The outer end portion 125 i of the rod may be threadedand receive a hand nut 127. A coil spring 129 may encircle the rod 125 and be confined between the inner end of the sleeve 123 and a collar 131 secured to the rod. The construction is such that on adjustment of the hand nut 127 the vane carrying ring 101 will be shift-- ed circumferentially of its supporting ring 103 and bodily adjust the vanes 99. Since the outer ends of the vane links 111 are connected to fixed pivots, the bodily adjustment of the ring 101 will cause the vanes 99 to swing on their shafts 101 and vary the amount of opening of said vanes as desired. Thus, by this construction the, opening afforded by said vanes may readily be regulated by adjusting means accessible externally of the casing, and the strength of the air current may be varied as desired.

If it is desired to remove the vanes or any one of them, it is merely necessary for the operator to enter the'casing through the door 9 in the outer casing, and to lift the links 111 from the lugs 115, release the bolts 107 and remove the vane carrying ring sections from the casing. The vanes ma be readily lifted from their shafts 100 and? new ones substituted therefor. The ring sections 105 may bethen introduced back into the casing on the ring 105, and ma be links 111 may be dropped into the eyes of the lugs 115, and by this simple operation, the vanes are in readiness for use.

These separators are usually so large that a man may readily enter through the door Qand move about in the interior. of the easing to inspect, adjust and replace parts desirable to have further access to the parts in the casing. This may readily be accomplished by releasingthe bolts 5 and removing the upper conlcal wall 3 of the outer casing'froln the lower conical wall 1 thereof. In operation, the materials are introduced into the separator through the feed-tube 39 and strike the rotary distributor. They are thrown outwardly thereby into the path of the air current rising through the inner 'therein, but insome instances it may be chamber. The whirl of the air current will generate a centrifugalforce which will tend to cause the matenals to move, along adjacent to the inclined wall 35 of the inner chamber which will deflect the materials inward and contribute to the separation outward between the vanes of the fan into the outer casing. The'whirl of the air current roduced by the fan will generate a centrifugal force which will cause the lighter particles carried by the air current to flow downward along adjacent to the conical\ upper wall 3 of the outer casing. Since the opening 29 between the outer chamber and intermediate chamber is located substantially opposite to the juncture of the upper conical wall with the lower conical wall of -the outer casing, the lighter particles will pass said opening remotely therefrom, and

. the percentage of fines returned by the air current throughsaid opening will be reduced to aminimum. The air current after passing the opening 29 will flow down through the intermediate chamber 37 and thence upward throughthe inner chamber. The angular disposition of the vanes 99 tends to cause the air current to pass through the opening 29 tangentially of said vanes, and thereby contributes to the whirl effec of the air current.

The relative location of the opening 29 and the juncture of the diverging conical comprising, in combination, a casing having outer and inner chambers therein, a fan for causing an air current to circulate through said chambers, means to introduce materials to be graded-in the path of the air current, said chambers having an opening between them, valve means for controlling the passage of air through said opening comprising a pair of relatively movable supports, a series of vanes pivotally mounted on the movable support, a series of links pivotally connected to said vanes and the other. support, and means to adjust the vane carrying support bodily to move the vanes and vary the opening afforded thereby.

2. An air separator for grading materials, comprising, in combination, a casing having outer and inner chambers therein, a fan for causing an air current to circulate through said chambers, means to introduce materials to be graded in the path of the air current, said. chambers having an opening between them, means to control the passage of air through said opening including a pair of relatively movable supports, a series of vanes pivotally mounted on the movable support, a series of links pivotally connected to said vanes and the other support, and means to adjust said first support and said vanes to vary the effective opening of said vanes, said links being detachably connected to their support to enable ready removal of the vanes from their support.

3. An air separator for grading materials, comprising, in combination, an outer casing, an inner casing, a fan for causing air current to circulate through the outer and inner casings, an upright shaft projecting upwardly into the inner casing and operatively supporting said fan, a laterally extending driving shaft operatively connected to said upright shaft, a laterally extending housing inclosing said driving shaft, said inner and outer casings having openings therein to removably receive said housing, cover plates projecting from said housing, and adapted to support the housing and means for removably securing said plates over said openings.

4. An air separator for grading materials, comprising, in combination, an outer casing, an inner casing, a fan for causing air current to circulate through the outer and inner casings, an upright shaft projecting upwardly into the inner casing and operatively supporting said fan, a laterally extendin driving shaft, intermeshing gears secured to said shafts, a casing for said gears, said inner and outer casings and gear casing having alined openings to removably receive the driving shaft and gear secured thereto, cover plates for each of said openings connected to said driving shaft, and means for removably securing said cover plates to the respective casings.

5. An air separator for grading materials, comprising, in combination, an outer casing and an inner casing providing outer and inner communicating chambers, a rotary distributer mounted in the inner chamber, an upright shaft projecting upwardly into the inner chamber and operatively supporting said distributer, means for delivering materials to be separated to the distributer, an upwardly converging conical wall mounted upon'the distributer, a fan for causing an air current to circulate through said chambers, said fan being secured to the upper portion of said conical wall and rotated thereby, an upwardly converging wall surrounding and supported in spaced relation to the first. conical wall, said conical walls being arrangedto direct an air current toward the axis of said fan, and a flaring collar extending from the first conical wall outward toward the fan blades to direct the air current outwardly.

6. An air separator for grading materials, comprising in combination, an outer casing and an inner casing providing outer and inner communicating chambers, and the inner casing having an upwardly converging conical wall, a rotary distributor mounted in the inner chamber, an upright shaft projecting upward into the inner chamber and having the distributer operatively secured to its upper portion, a feed tube above the distributer for delivering materials to the latter, an upwardly converging conical wall secured to and rotated by the distributer and positioned in opposition to the conical wall of the inner casing, and a fan secured to the upper portion of the rotating conical wall and driven thereby to cause an air current to circulate through the chambers.

7. An air separator for grading materials, comprising, in combination, an outer casing having upper and lower conical walls diverging from their juncture with substantial inclination, an inner casing having a conical wall, an intermediate wall between the outer and inner casings, an annular plate projecting outward from the upper end of the inner casing conical wall and spaced from the upper end of the intermediate wall to leave an opening between them substantially opposite to and remote from the juncture of the diverging walls of the outer casing, a seriesof vanes in said opening, said casings and walls providing an outer collecting chamber, an inner separating chamher and a passa e intermediate said chambers, a shaft pro ecting into said separating chamber, a rotary distributer on said shaft, means to feed materials to the rotary distributer, and a fan between the annular plate and the top of the outer casing for causing air current to circulate up in the separating chamber, past the fan, down in the collecting chamber, between the vanes, and through the intermediate passage to the separating chamber.

8. An air separator for grading materials, comprising, in combination, an outer casing having a collecting chamber therein, an inner casing having a separating chamber therein and having an upwardly tapered conical wall, an upright shaft projecting into the separating chamber, a rotary distributer on said shaft, a rotary, upwardly tapered conical wall on said shaft opposed to and spaced from the inner casing conical wall, a fan mounted on the upper end of the rotary conical wall for causing an air current to circulate through the separating and collecting chambers, and means to introduce materials to the rotary distributer.

9. An air separator for grading materials, comp-rising, in combination, an outer casing having upper and lower conical walls diverging from their juncture with substan tial inclination, an inner casing having an opening communicating with the space between the outer casing and the inner casing adjacent the juncture of the conical walls of the outer casing, a rotary distributer mounted within the inner casing, means to introduce materials to be graded to the distributer, a fan for causing an air current to move upward in the inner chamber and downward in the space between the outer and inner casings, and a series of vanes mounted in said opening for promoting whirl of the air current passing through said openin 10. in air separator for grading materials, comprising, in combination, an outer casing having upper and lower conical walls diverging from their juncture with substantial inclination, an inner casing having an opening communicating with the space between the outer casing and theinner casing adjacent the juncture of the conical walls of the outer casing, a rotary distributer mounted within the inner casing, means to introduce materials to be graded to the distributer, a fan for causing an air current to move upward in the inner chamber and downward in the space between the outer and inner casings, and valve means for said opening to regulate the air current passing therethrough.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

THOMAS J. STURTEVANT. 

